Traditional aircraft cockpit controls include dedicated control panels for various aircraft systems such as, voice radio tuning, navigation (NAV) radio tuning, weather radar control, transponder control, ground proximity warning system control, satellite communication (SATCOM) control, cabin interphone control, among others. These dedicated control panels are typically installed in an aisle stand of the aircraft. The weight from all of the dedicated control panels used in a single aircraft can be substantial. Also, aircraft aisle stands have limited space, thereby limiting the number of dedicated control panels that may be installed in an aircraft at a given time.
The installation and replacement of dedicated control panels is costly due to the number of panels involved. In addition, airlines must stock sufficient replacement panels for each of the dedicated control panels in an aircraft, which further adds to the costs associated with the dedicated control panel approach.